1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to egg collection systems for collecting eggs of laying hens, and more particularly to a system including a conveyor belt for carrying laid eggs to a collection area, which is capable of preventing or reducing the extent of breakage of an egg caused by collision of eggs or the like on the conveyor belt.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional system for collecting eggs comprises a plurality of laying cages or nests each having a front wall defining an egg opening for discharging newly laid eggs, an inclined plane surface extended out beyond the front wall, and a flat surface conveyor belt receiving and delivering newly laid eggs rolling out by gravity from each of the cages or the nests, supported by a trough disposed in the front of each cage. The conveyor belt is driven at desired intervals to convey the eggs thereon to a collection area. However, in such conventional systems for collecting eggs, newly laid eggs are free to roll downwardly along the inclined plane surface from the cages and to fall down on the flat surfaced conveyor belt by gravity. That is to say, the rolling speed of eggs is not reduced. Therefore, a newly laid egg rolling from the cages and falling down to the conveyor belt can collide with an egg or eggs already on the conveyor belt, or a newly laid egg after dropping onto the conveyor belt often traverses and crosses the conveyor belt and impinges on the remote side wall of the trough, so that the egg breaks on the conveyor belt. Such breakage of the eggs amounts to about 6 to 10 percent per a day of all production in an ordinary poultry farm, and is a serious problem especially for poultry farms handling expensive eggs. Furthermore, the conveyor belt and the trough are soiled by such breakage.